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Talking with District Councillor Phil Capon, one of the two councillors for the Hawkwell South and who is Chairman of the Development Committee of the Council (Heather Glynn is the other councillor - see her page)
Here, in a fairly brief conversation, we met Phil Capon for the first time. Phil is a warm open-hearted, somewhat bluff individual who says it as it is. Out of our conversation the following are some glimpses at who he is and what it takes to be a councillor. We hope you find it interesting.
Rochford Life: Phil I believe you were first elected to the Council in 2000. Is that right? That’s quite a while, fourteen years to be exact.
Phil: That’s right, 2000 is the year I was elected. I’m an individual who if he throws his lot in with something he goes the whole hog. It’s not part time. Yes, it may not take all your working hours but it is a full-time commitment. You shouldn’t take that lightly, because it always has a lot of implications. When you are making decisions they can have long lasting effects and you have to be very careful.
RL: Is it right you were a Parish Councillor before?
Phil: I resigned from Stambridge Parish Council just over a year ago when I moved from Stambridge but I had been a Parish Councillor for seventeen years
RL: Your wife is also a District Councillor?
Phil: That’s right. The beauty of that is that you have someone to bash ideas about. I’ve always believed that if you are going to be on the Council you should be open to all views and be open to change. It’s what I don’t like about party politics where it tends to be go with the prevailing view rather than think through alternative possibilities that may be good from other parties.
RL: How did you become a councillor to start with?
Phil: Well when I moved to Stambridge back in 1995, I thought the first thing I would do is go along to a Parish Council meeting to find out what is going on in this area, and I came away from there as a Parish Councillor! Within a year I was chair of that Parish Council. I’ve found over the years that sometimes there are councillors who think they are big but the truth is we’re no different to anyone else. The only difference is we’ll give up time to do it. Some people do it for personal gain; I do it for the residents’ gain, because that what we’re here for. My view is that you do what is best for the District, whatever political colour you may be.
RL: You sound like you have strong views on being here for the people?
Phil: I do. In my view there are two main things that all councillors should be looking at. First and foremost that the council is not in negative equity and this council isn’t. Second, that you represent the residents for they are the ones who put you there. You’ll never get all your residents to agree and you know that because some vote for one party and others another.
RL: I believe we are going to have boundary changes in the near future. What are your thoughts on that?
Phil: If you look at this District you have Parish boundaries and District wards, and in all fairness it doesn’t matter too much where you put those wards, if you had a blank canvas and needed 39 wards for 39 councillors, but the plan is make 3 members per ward. I think you look at Parishes for Parishes are very important because at the end of the day they are probably the people who are most in touch with the public, so take all the Parish boundaries and see where the Parish boundaries go. You can never go exactly with how they are; Hawkwell will have to be split into two. If you look at Hockley and Ashingdon and Canewdon, there will need to be changes there. (see also page on the Boundary changes)
RL: You have been chairman of the development committee for a while now. What is it about development, planning and environment that interests you?
Phil: Environment is the side I’m really more interested in. When I first started in the Parish I was interested in planning big time because I felt it had a big impact on the area, but yes, I’ve been chair of development for some years.
RL: I believe you’ve been through a bit of a tough time recently
Phil: I learnt one thing: never give up. I was involved with an accident and suffered with my knee (which is why I’m walking with a stick at the moment). For a variety of reasons it has dragged on and it’s still not right and I’m still in severe pain. So, yes.
RL: Doesn’t that make you feel you want to give up all the Council stuff?
Phil: No, that’s what keeps me going. Before the accident I was self-employed and ran my own business – garden home maintenance – and I’ve always been manual, but there’s no way I can continue that. But no, I won’t give up.
RL: You also have a role at the Faith Store I believe?
Phil: I’m the manager of the shop; they were running short of man-power and were going to shut it, and so I said I would do it.
RL: Well thank you Phil for giving us your time and example. We hope the knee will improve.
Editor’s Comment:
If you are a regular reader of Rochford Life and have read the various interviews we have carried out over the years with both Parish and District Councillors, there appear to us various characteristics of these people which anyone thinking of serving on the Council would do well to note, and these particularly become clear in Phil’s interview:
1. A willingness to give up a lot of time.
2. A willingness to learn the nuts and bolts of local authority activity
3. A willingness to be open to and to serve the residents of the District rather than yourself
4. A willingness to serve your colleagues on committees
5. Perseverance and patience
Top of page
Rochford Life: Phil I believe you were first elected to the Council in 2000. Is that right? That’s quite a while, fourteen years to be exact.
Phil: That’s right, 2000 is the year I was elected. I’m an individual who if he throws his lot in with something he goes the whole hog. It’s not part time. Yes, it may not take all your working hours but it is a full-
RL: Is it right you were a Parish Councillor before?
Phil: I resigned from Stambridge Parish Council just over a year ago when I moved from Stambridge but I had been a Parish Councillor for seventeen years
RL: Your wife is also a District Councillor?
Phil: That’s right. The beauty of that is that you have someone to bash ideas about. I’ve always believed that if you are going to be on the Council you should be open to all views and be open to change. It’s what I don’t like about party politics where it tends to be go with the prevailing view rather than think through alternative possibilities that may be good from other parties.
RL: How did you become a councillor to start with?
Phil: Well when I moved to Stambridge back in 1995, I thought the first thing I would do is go along to a Parish Council meeting to find out what is going on in this area, and I came away from there as a Parish Councillor! Within a year I was chair of that Parish Council. I’ve found over the years that sometimes there are councillors who think they are big but the truth is we’re no different to anyone else. The only difference is we’ll give up time to do it. Some people do it for personal gain; I do it for the residents’ gain, because that what we’re here for. My view is that you do what is best for the District, whatever political colour you may be.
RL: You sound like you have strong views on being here for the people?
Phil: I do. In my view there are two main things that all councillors should be looking at. First and foremost that the council is not in negative equity and this council isn’t. Second, that you represent the residents for they are the ones who put you there. You’ll never get all your residents to agree and you know that because some vote for one party and others another.
RL: I believe we are going to have boundary changes in the near future. What are your thoughts on that?
Phil: If you look at this District you have Parish boundaries and District wards, and in all fairness it doesn’t matter too much where you put those wards, if you had a blank canvas and needed 39 wards for 39 councillors, but the plan is make 3 members per ward. I think you look at Parishes for Parishes are very important because at the end of the day they are probably the people who are most in touch with the public, so take all the Parish boundaries and see where the Parish boundaries go. You can never go exactly with how they are; Hawkwell will have to be split into two. If you look at Hockley and Ashingdon and Canewdon, there will need to be changes there. (see also page on the Boundary changes)
RL: You have been chairman of the development committee for a while now. What is it about development, planning and environment that interests you?
Phil: Environment is the side I’m really more interested in. When I first started in the Parish I was interested in planning big time because I felt it had a big impact on the area, but yes, I’ve been chair of development for some years.
RL: I believe you’ve been through a bit of a tough time recently
Phil: I learnt one thing: never give up. I was involved with an accident and suffered with my knee (which is why I’m walking with a stick at the moment). For a variety of reasons it has dragged on and it’s still not right and I’m still in severe pain. So, yes.
RL: Doesn’t that make you feel you want to give up all the Council stuff?
Phil: No, that’s what keeps me going. Before the accident I was self-
RL: You also have a role at the Faith Store I believe?
Phil: I’m the manager of the shop; they were running short of man-
RL: Well thank you Phil for giving us your time and example. We hope the knee will improve.
Editor’s Comment:
If you are a regular reader of Rochford Life and have read the various interviews we have carried out over the years with both Parish and District Councillors, there appear to us various characteristics of these people which anyone thinking of serving on the Council would do well to note, and these particularly become clear in Phil’s interview:
1. A willingness to give up a lot of time.
2. A willingness to learn the nuts and bolts of local authority activity
3. A willingness to be open to and to serve the residents of the District rather than yourself
4. A willingness to serve your colleagues on committees
5. Perseverance and patience
Top of page
